Figure 5.
Mechanism of septic RBC-mediated vasodilation. (A) Vessel cGMP content in rat thoracic aorta segments increased following incubation with septic RBCs (0.01 [1%] hematocrit). (B) Relaxation effects of septic RBCs were inhibited on cell lysis. (C) Effects of lysis, GSH (100 μM), C-PTIO (100 μM), ascorbate (100 μM), or apyrase (5 U/mL) on septic RBC– (0.01 [1%] hematocrit) mediated relaxation. For RBC lysis, amounts of RBC lysates equivalent to 0.01 (1%) hematocrit intact RBCs were added. Data represent mean ± SEM (n = 3). *P ≤ .05 versus LPS RBCs.